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It's getting very decent reviews, too.
My spiritual pilgrimage to the Tirumala temple... - ...where I met a former Oscar host
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Sonic Youth
- Tenured Laureate
- Posts: 8005
- Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:35 pm
- Location: USA
-
Sonic Youth
- Tenured Laureate
- Posts: 8005
- Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:35 pm
- Location: USA
Two days ago, my family and I took a long journey to the Venkateshwara temple, at the top of the Tirumala foot hills, 3,200 ft high from the town of Tirupathi . It is just one of many beautiful temples at the top of a mountainous climb. Which can be approached two ways: the stairs, which go up 8 kilometers and takes four hours to climb if you're healthy and devoted enough; or, you can drive up an 18km (each way) road that ribbons along the side of several cliffs... including a sequence of 25 dangerous hairpin turns in a row as you descend. Because we were travelling with two in-laws in their 60s, we opted for car travel up the mountain, and in an Ambassador Classic, no less. (The area is also a protected wildlife preserve. If you're lucky, you could see a tiger on the way up. And if you're REALLY lucky, it won't attack your car. Didn't see any tigers, but saw plenty of deer and wild boar.)
According to my trusty copy of Lonely Planet-India: "The holy hill of Tirumala is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India - and indeed the world. It's said that Venkateshwara Temple eclipses Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca for sheer numbers of pilgrims. There are never fewer than 5,000 pilgrims here at any one time - the daily average is 40,000, and the total often reaches 100,000. Temple staff alone number 12,000." One you get to the top, you enter a 'hidden' area, 10 square miles of open area surrounded by seven peaks. This 'hidden' area is able to accomodate the thousands of visitors, with lodges and dormatories, dining halls and vegetarian restaurants, and a police and fire station in this miraculous make-shift village designed for the weary travellers' ease and comfort. And let's not forget all the barbers on hand to engage in the, shall we say, tonsorial arts for the devout and recently mourning. Dressed in my best kurta, I observed an awsome display of devotion, as thousands and thousands waited on line to enter the inner sanctum of a 2,000 year old temple, in the presence of the deity Venkateshwara, to grant a wish and a blessing, and comfort those who have lost a loved one.
It is here that I met Chris Rock.
As my wife, her little sister and I walked along the perimeter of the temple, my wife said "Sonic, look!" Ever on the ball, I said, "Huh?" "That was Chris Rock!" I turned, and there was the back of Chris Rock's head, which gives you an idea of how sharp I am. But yeah, it was him. Chris Rock walked by us along with another guy, and then took a seat on a wall off to the side, an Indian police guard standing along and keeping watch. Chris looked VERY uncomfortable. The three of us just looked from a distance, marvelling at this prime example of cognitive dissonance. I mean, I thought I was the only non-Hindu on this mountain. Not only am I not, but the other non-Hindu inhabiting the same pilgrimage site hosted The 77th Annual Academy Awards. And then... here was another guy, some white dude whom no one recognized, but was good looking enough to be in the movies, getting harrassed by a six year old girl begging for money. "No. No. I'm sorry, I don't have any," he said as gently as he could. (That never works, especially if you're white.) And up ahead was a camera-man and two other people, a young man and woman taking notes. I had to know what was going on. "Excuse me," I said to the gentleman, who was well over six feet tall. "What's going on? Are you location scouts or something?"
"Scouts?", he said. "No, we're making a movie."
"With Chris Rock? Was that him?"
"Yes it was", he said.
"He didn't look too happy, so we didn't bother him."
"Well, he's just very jet-lagged, but he'll be fine. Where are you from?"
And we had a brief, friendly conversation. I was talking to the director, Jeff Stilson. Looking at his imdb profile, this would appear to be the first time he's directed anything, but he has worked as a writer on The Chris Rock Show. He said he couldn't tell me exactly what project they were working on, and by the looks of things they were only getting footage. He was very nice. And then I said "Don't want to hold you up. Good luck with the film." And we went on our way.
Eventually, our wanderings led us back to where Chris Rock was sitting (Honestly! We hit a dead end and had to go back. Promise!) Little sister was all "Go up to Chris Rock and talk to him! Do it! Ask for an autograph!" My wife's like, "No, don't! You'll disturb him!" I decided upon a middle-ground, to walk by and say "Hi." while passing. (That's about all I usually do anyway, when I randomly see a famous person. I'm not an autograph hound, and I don't like to bother people simply because they're famous.) Chris was sitting on that wall listening to his I-pod, two other Americans (or at least, non-Hindustanis) sitting with him, one of whom I've later learned was Nelson George. We walked by and I gave him a smile and said "Welcome to India!" He lifted one ear of the headset away and facially-gestured to me to repeat what I said. "Welcome to India!" He gave me a thumbs up and a "that's cool, man" expression. The other two laughed. My wife was astonished I went so far.
We joined the rest of the family at the other side of the temple, and eventually so did Chris and the director, as they were talking to a few Indian families, obviously in the process of finding some people to photograph. We stood around and watched, interested in what would develop and <span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>... *ahem*, hoping to get cast.</span> Eventually the crowd caught wind, and everyone was swallowed up by a group of fifty people encircling them, and it was growing. Oh well, it was time to go anyway.
If the purpose of this visit was for me to appreciate first-hand one of the most profound examples of Indian culture, history and spirituality, then I'm sorry to say I failed in making that the primary take-away experience. But when anyone asks me if I have any stories about meeting or seeing any famous people? Top of the list experience! Which is a sort of spiritual nirvana. Isn't it?
Edited By Sonic Youth on 1197864267
According to my trusty copy of Lonely Planet-India: "The holy hill of Tirumala is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India - and indeed the world. It's said that Venkateshwara Temple eclipses Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca for sheer numbers of pilgrims. There are never fewer than 5,000 pilgrims here at any one time - the daily average is 40,000, and the total often reaches 100,000. Temple staff alone number 12,000." One you get to the top, you enter a 'hidden' area, 10 square miles of open area surrounded by seven peaks. This 'hidden' area is able to accomodate the thousands of visitors, with lodges and dormatories, dining halls and vegetarian restaurants, and a police and fire station in this miraculous make-shift village designed for the weary travellers' ease and comfort. And let's not forget all the barbers on hand to engage in the, shall we say, tonsorial arts for the devout and recently mourning. Dressed in my best kurta, I observed an awsome display of devotion, as thousands and thousands waited on line to enter the inner sanctum of a 2,000 year old temple, in the presence of the deity Venkateshwara, to grant a wish and a blessing, and comfort those who have lost a loved one.
It is here that I met Chris Rock.
As my wife, her little sister and I walked along the perimeter of the temple, my wife said "Sonic, look!" Ever on the ball, I said, "Huh?" "That was Chris Rock!" I turned, and there was the back of Chris Rock's head, which gives you an idea of how sharp I am. But yeah, it was him. Chris Rock walked by us along with another guy, and then took a seat on a wall off to the side, an Indian police guard standing along and keeping watch. Chris looked VERY uncomfortable. The three of us just looked from a distance, marvelling at this prime example of cognitive dissonance. I mean, I thought I was the only non-Hindu on this mountain. Not only am I not, but the other non-Hindu inhabiting the same pilgrimage site hosted The 77th Annual Academy Awards. And then... here was another guy, some white dude whom no one recognized, but was good looking enough to be in the movies, getting harrassed by a six year old girl begging for money. "No. No. I'm sorry, I don't have any," he said as gently as he could. (That never works, especially if you're white.) And up ahead was a camera-man and two other people, a young man and woman taking notes. I had to know what was going on. "Excuse me," I said to the gentleman, who was well over six feet tall. "What's going on? Are you location scouts or something?"
"Scouts?", he said. "No, we're making a movie."
"With Chris Rock? Was that him?"
"Yes it was", he said.
"He didn't look too happy, so we didn't bother him."
"Well, he's just very jet-lagged, but he'll be fine. Where are you from?"
And we had a brief, friendly conversation. I was talking to the director, Jeff Stilson. Looking at his imdb profile, this would appear to be the first time he's directed anything, but he has worked as a writer on The Chris Rock Show. He said he couldn't tell me exactly what project they were working on, and by the looks of things they were only getting footage. He was very nice. And then I said "Don't want to hold you up. Good luck with the film." And we went on our way.
Eventually, our wanderings led us back to where Chris Rock was sitting (Honestly! We hit a dead end and had to go back. Promise!) Little sister was all "Go up to Chris Rock and talk to him! Do it! Ask for an autograph!" My wife's like, "No, don't! You'll disturb him!" I decided upon a middle-ground, to walk by and say "Hi." while passing. (That's about all I usually do anyway, when I randomly see a famous person. I'm not an autograph hound, and I don't like to bother people simply because they're famous.) Chris was sitting on that wall listening to his I-pod, two other Americans (or at least, non-Hindustanis) sitting with him, one of whom I've later learned was Nelson George. We walked by and I gave him a smile and said "Welcome to India!" He lifted one ear of the headset away and facially-gestured to me to repeat what I said. "Welcome to India!" He gave me a thumbs up and a "that's cool, man" expression. The other two laughed. My wife was astonished I went so far.
We joined the rest of the family at the other side of the temple, and eventually so did Chris and the director, as they were talking to a few Indian families, obviously in the process of finding some people to photograph. We stood around and watched, interested in what would develop and <span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>... *ahem*, hoping to get cast.</span> Eventually the crowd caught wind, and everyone was swallowed up by a group of fifty people encircling them, and it was growing. Oh well, it was time to go anyway.
If the purpose of this visit was for me to appreciate first-hand one of the most profound examples of Indian culture, history and spirituality, then I'm sorry to say I failed in making that the primary take-away experience. But when anyone asks me if I have any stories about meeting or seeing any famous people? Top of the list experience! Which is a sort of spiritual nirvana. Isn't it?
Edited By Sonic Youth on 1197864267
"What the hell?"
Win Butler
Win Butler